Is dinnertime a struggle at your house, too?

Yep, mine too! That is the time that the baby wants to be fed, Isaac coming up and saying,"What's for dinner?! I'm STARVING!" and usually for Isaac and Adam to start arguing about something minor that soon escalates to either screaming or tears.

Now, I gotta add a disclaimer here. I'm not the one who does the cookin'.

For those of you who know me personally, this comes as no surprise, but for my loyal reader, whoever you may be, that hasn't met me in person yet.....I'm sorry to disappoint you. I'm no cook! Chris is an excellent cook and enjoys it, whereas I stink at it and hate it. So we decided early in our marriage that he'd do the majority of the cooking.

If it brings him such pleasure, why should I take that from him, right??

Right!

But that seriously doesn't diminish the fact that dinnertime is a hard time for most mothers as they prepare to get a meal on the table. Since it is usually moms who are doing this, Ragu has heard your plea for help!! They have created a Facebook page called "Mom's the Word for Dinner!"

Here's what Ragu has to say to you moms:

We strive to bring moms together to share stories and tips, celebrate the small wins and laugh about situations that only other moms can relate to. Each month, this online community will be tackling topics from how to deal with picky eaters, to getting them to eat their veggies to what's being discussed at the dinner table, with some tips from parenting expert and author, Dr. Michele Borba, and Registered Dietician, Dr. Felicia Stoler.

In addition to giving moms an opportunity to talk and have fun together through their community, there will also be videos, pictures, polls, quizzes, and even dinner ideas with quick and easy recipes! (Hey, maybe even I could make these!!)

While we're talking about Ragu, did you realize that Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional pasta sauce, Ragú® provides two full servings of veggies in every half cup of sauce? This company does strive to help moms not only have a community, but also to get those veggies into our kids....something we all know isn't that easy!

There is even a contest going on right now where you could tell your story and have a chance to be in an ad in People magazine!!

So go check it out! Who knows...you might even see me there!!

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Ragú® prize package in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place.

Mom to boys: "Have You Read Today?"

I Can Read! BooksBecome an I Can Read! Member

Last night, my family spent two hours and $75 dollars shopping.

We weren't at the toy store.

We weren't at the grocery store.

We weren't at Wal-Mart, KMart, or Target, either!

We were at a book store! We all four (I won't count Robbie, since he was chillin' in the stroller!) spent 2 hours reading and looking at books.

Reading is a priority in our house. It is something we do for pleasure. Our children have seen their father or I with a book in our hands almost every day of their lives. When we pack up to go on a trip, we always include reading material, because we know if we don't...we'll be having to find some once we reach our destination! All four of us who can hold books in our hands read at least once a day: as we prepare to go to sleep. Most of the time, we also read some other time in the day!

As a first grade teacher for 12 years and now as a Reading Specialist, I often have parents ask me what the best thing is they can do to help their child--struggling reader or not--over the summer months when they are not in school. Every single time I am asked, I answer the same: have them read!

Reading is a developmental practice, much like walking or talking or riding a bike: the more you do it, the better you get! Without practicing the skills needed to read, one will not improve. Research has proven this! So if reading is a priority in your household, you're sure to be working toward improving the reading skills of your children!

Though I can't quite fathom it, I know that there are people out there who do not like to read. I hate that for you, truly! I cannot imagine a world without books! Books and stories are friends of mine! But even if you do NOT like to read novels or books in general, do you like to read magazines? Cereal boxes? Directions on model car sets? Anything! Reading is reading...it doesn't have to be done in a conventional way. Show your child that you are reading, and he/she is more likely to pick up the practice him/herself.

What, you say, if I don't have any reading material in my house? EASY answer, folks! Almost every community has a public library in it, where materials can be checked out for a period of time FOR FREE! Many also have summer reading programs for kids. You'll be amazed what you can find in a library!

Well..what if I have books but my child has read them all? Got an answer for that one, too! I'm a member of a great website where books can be exchanged for the low price of postage called PaperBackSwap. All you do is list the books that you are willing to mail to another member if requested and search for books you'd like to order in return! Easy Peasy!

Another suggestion I have is to make a reading challenge. Several bookstores also offer deals for students turning in a list of books read over the summer. Barnes and Noble and Borders are both offering such programs this year, so check them out! If you're not interested in that, how about making a challenge in your own home? How about offering to exchange a toy for reading 15 minutes a day for a period of time? Or maybe everyone agreeing to read for 15 minutes each day, and reminding each other to do so? Or like my family, you may want to make a point to each read for a few minutes as a way to wind down at the end of the day.

For younger children up to third graders, it is perfectly acceptable for you to read to them! This counts in my book as reading, as your child is learning by listening and hearing the rhythm and cadence of your voice. Ask questions about the story you are reading, and tell your child what you find interesting about the story, too!

So what are you waiting for?? I know you're reading now...so go read some more!!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an "I Can Read!" book. For more information on how you can participate, click here. "I Can Read!" Books was one of the first ever easy-to-read books that children could read independently, and has been in print ever since. Now with more than 6 million I Can Read! books sold, including 200 titles, I Can Read! books is the best series to take children step by step into the wonderful world of reading on their own. For a full list of books and activities to go along with them visit their website!

Responsible Sports

Over at TwitterMoms, a contest has been going on focusing on one question:

"As a parent, how do you encourage and reinforce the positive aspects of youth sports?"

I was not very athletic growing up. I liked dance lessons and cheerleading, but put a ball in my hand, and I was pretty useless. However, knowing how much sports mean to little boys, we have encouraged our boys to join in. Thankfully, around here we have both Upward Soccer and Upward Basketball. This starts our kids out with a positive introduction to both sports where they have the chance to learn basic skills in a Christian environment. I also really like that the Upward program insists on giving each child equal playing time. That way if the boys happen to inherit my lack of skillz, they still get to play! This is a boost to ANY child's self-confidence!

In the past month, both my sons have started taking TaeKwonDo as well, and are really enjoying it. It, too, teaches about control and respect, and they have to rely on their individual skills and confidence to succeed.

Another way that we have encouraged Isaac in sports is perseverance. In baseball, he struggled batting at first. We had several talks about how we didn't want him to succeed for US, but that we wanted him to keep trying for himself to see that he could do it! I am sure that if we had said it was okay for him to quit baseball mid-season, he would have done it. But we insisted that he carry through with the commitment he had made to his team. Though he didn't end up the star player by the end of the season, he did learn much about the sport and about his ability to take constructive criticism from others and work on improving his playing abilities.

Thanks to Liberty Mutual's Responsible Sports program, which can be found at www.responsiblesports.com, for encouraging kids to move and to be good sports!